Humanitarian aid headed for Gaza lands in Jordan
A TURKISH military transport plane carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip reached Jordan, the Defense Ministry said Monday.
“Health supplies prepared for our Gazan brothers and sisters were delivered to Jordan with an A400M type aircraft that took off from the 12th Air Transport Main Base Command in Kayseri,” the ministry said on X.
Türkiye has been unwavering in its support for Palestine and said it would continue to make efforts to provide all kinds of support to the Palestinian people fully within the scope of humanitarian aid efforts.
During talks in Ankara today, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is also set to discuss with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Türkiye’s efforts to deliver humanitarian to Gaza, notably before the holy month of Ramadan.
Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed 30,534 people, mainly women and children, and injured 71,920 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the U.N.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
‘INVALUABLE WORK’ OF UNRWA
Also on Monday, Türkiye’s deputy permanent representative to the U.N. expressed strong support for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA.
“For almost 75 years, UNRWA has provided assistance and protection to Palestine refugees. This assistance is essential and indispensable. It entails the possibility of a life in dignity. It saves lives,” Aslı Güven told the General Assembly.
“We commend the heroic efforts by the UNRWA personnel who are making the ultimate sacrifice in their honorable mission,” she added.
Güven said that since the flare-up of the Israel-Palestine conflict on Oct. 7, more than 150 UNRWA premises have been hit and more than 160 UNRWA personnel have been killed by Israel.
“That was followed by allegations of wrongdoing toward several individuals among the 30,000 employees of UNRWA. The U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and an independent review group immediately seized on the matter.
“Yet to this day, credible evidence has yet to be presented to substantiate these allegations,” Güven said, adding the suspension of funding to UNRWA by some donors “can hardly be justified and remains a matter of deep concern.”
Israeli authorities accused some UNRWA employees in Gaza of taking part in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas on Israel. Several countries have suspended funding for the agency, which was established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. The agency said it terminated contracts with the employees following the allegations.
“As the platform representing the wider membership and the consciousness of the international community, the General Assembly cannot abandon UNRWA, nor can it leave the Palestine refugees to their own devices.
“Türkiye, as the chair of the working group on the financing of UNRWA, will continue to support the invaluable work of the agency. We call on all parties to support UNRWA,” Güven added.
She also thanked UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini for his efforts to realize its mandate under extremely dire circumstances.
On Monday, Lazzarini warned the agency was at “a breaking point” and facing a “deliberate and concerted campaign” to undermine its operations and ultimately end them.
“Dismantling UNRWA is shortsighted. By doing so, we will sacrifice an entire generation of children, sowing the seeds of hatred, resentment and future conflict,” he warned.
He also underlined that “urgent action” is needed to facilitate a political solution that will bring peace to Palestinians and Israelis, and in this context alone, allow the agency to transition.